Falling is Flying

April 15, 2019
Brahm, a Theravada Buddhist monk, and Guojun, a teacher in the Chan tradition, share in this informative volume of teachings on how they have faced adversity as public authority figures of Buddhism. In 2009, Brahm ordained nuns (which is controversial within the Thai Forest Tradition) and was subsequently expelled from the lineage of Ajahn Chah, his teacher. Over the last decade, Guojun writes that he has been the target of a “smear campaign” that unjustly accused him of sexual misconduct and questionable financial dealings. For both authors, the core of the controversies rested in questions about how power ought to be wielded by Dharma masters according to Buddhist monastic codes. Brahm and Guojun use their respective situations as jumping-off points for reflections on concepts such as knowing vs. experience and the nature of expectation. They also both discuss relationships to teachers and the ways their practice shaped how they have have faced adversity, which Guojun sums up succinctly: “Win or lose? Relax. It’s nothing special. Very simple; very ordinary. It was about how you live when you win, or how you live when you lose.” Both teach that, rather than avoiding adversity in life, it is crucial to learn how to let go of one’s preferences and to meet whatever comes as it is. Readers familiar with either of the authors will find this volume an accessible and enjoyable counterpoint of tradition and perspective for facing adversity.